Vehicle-tire.



Patented Dec. 17, l90l.

2 Sheets-Sheet I.

E. c. a; F. PWWHITAKER. VEHICLE TIRE.

Application filed May 31, 1901.)

(No Model.

Ill/y WITNESSES m: nomus Wins 90.. momuma. wAsmuuTm. n. c.

Patented Dec. I7, IQOI.

E. C. 8:. F. P. WHITAKER.

' VEHICLE TIRE.

1/1/11 II/II N VENTOHJ Ear? Wz'fa v f ranzrfimz WITNESSES:

' UNITED STATES PATENT Gr mes.

EARL CHANDLER \VHITAKER AND FRANK. PERSIA WHITAKER, OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND.

VEHICLE-TIRE.

SPEGLEFILATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 689,263, dated December 17, 1901.

Application filed May 3], 1901.

To ctZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, EARL CHANDLER WHITAKER and FRANK PERSIA WHITAKER, citizens of the United States, and residents of Providence, in the county of Providence and State of Rhode Island, have invented a new and Improved Vehicle-Tire, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to a tire adapted especially for bicycles and other velocipedes, but useful, of course,in connection with vehicles of any sort.

The invention involves a certain peculiar formation of the tire by means of which all the advantages of the pneumatic tire are attained without the disadvantage of inflating the tire and the possibility of a puncture disabling it.

This specification is a specific description of one form of theinvention, while the claim is a definition of the actual scope thereof.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a sectional View of the invention on the line 1 1 of Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a sectional view on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1, said view illustrating a part of the tire in finished condition. Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the core which is fitted in the tire shown in Figs. 1 and 2 Figs. 4 and 5 are fragmentary side elevations of the mold-sections. 'Fig. 6 is a cross-section showing the core and the mold-sections of Figs. 4 and 5 assembled. Fig. 7 is a crosssection showing the core and the mold-sections in place within the exterior mold and illustrating the disposition of the rubber within the mold. Fig. 8 is a section showing the end portions of the mold-sections and the core, and Fig. 9 is a cross-section illustrating the manner of removing the tire from the Serial 110.62.511. (No model.)

other and longitudinally of the tube, While the orifices c are disposed diagonally of the axis of the tube. This gives the tire a honeycomb form, and while the exterior surface is smooth and unbroken the honeycomb structure of the tire provides a yielding structure on which the vehicle is carried. When the tube, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, is formed, a soft-rubber cored (see Fig. 3) is introduced into the tube, and then the tube, with the core, is bent into circular form and its ends cemented or otherwise joined together to form the complete tire. Now it will be seen that a tire of this construction is not influenced by puncturing, and necessarily it will fur- I nish fully the degree of resiliency which is characteristic of a pneumatic or inflated tire. The honeycomb form of the tube retains the external shape when not under pressure, and when under pressure it allows the tire to 'give with the weight that is placed upon it.

'Figs. 4 to 9 show the manner of forming the nally across the strip h. These strips g and h, when laid on the core, as shown in Fig. 6, are fastened in place by rings or ferrules t', engaging their end portions. The interior mold, as shown in Fig. 8, is then inserted between the sections e of the exterior mold, and the rubber is molded between the two parts. The projections g produce the recesses 17 in the tire, and the projections h produce the recesses c. \Vhen the rubber has been properly molded, the corefis withdrawn, and then the strips g and h are moved inward in the manner shown in Fig. 9, so that they are disengaged from the rubber, and then may be withdrawn longitudinally out of the mold. After the strips 9 and it have been completely withdrawn the sections of the mold are opened, and the tube a, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, is then finished. When this has been done, it only remains to (See Fig. 8.)

insert the rubber or other yielding core d, and then the tire is finished. has been finished its exterior surface may of course be covered with canvas, or an addi After the tire combed structure produced by a series ,of lines of longitudinally-disposed orifices alternating between longitudinal lines of diagoe nally-disposed orifices, and a resilient core extending through the tube and engaging the said houeycombed inner surface thereof.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to thisspecification in the presenceof two subscribing Witnesses.

- EARL CHANDLER WHITAKER. FRANK PERSIA WHITAKER.

\Vitnesses:

GILMAN E. J OPP, WILLIAM WV. MORGAN. 

